Narcolepsy most often develops when the brain loses its supply of hypocretin (also known as orexin), which is a chemical messenger essential for maintaining alertness and stable sleep-wake patterns. In many cases, this loss appears to stem from an autoimmune response that mistakenly targets and damages specialized cells in the hypothalamus. The condition is thought to arise from a mix of genetic susceptibility, environmental influences such as infections, and immune system misfiring that ultimately disrupts the brain’s ability to sustain wakefulness.
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